To Love Without a Heartbeat
by quaintlullabies
Summary: He wouldn't be the first to break; she would call on him first and she'd beg for him; except extenuating circumstances called for a deviation from his plans. She would not be in the arms of another man. He wouldn't allow it. She was, after all, his.
1. Chapter I

Sarah shook as she watched the man, her boyfriend, lean down on one knee in front of her. Her right hand immediately went to her mouth as Daniel grabbed her left and looked up at her expectantly. People were looking at them; the restaurant had grown silent. The only sound Sarah could hear was her own heartbeat and the sound of her breath easing in and out of her lungs. He pulled a small black box from his pocket and opened it to one of the most beautiful rings she'd ever set eyes on.

This was the right decision, the practical choice; the one that would shape her future from here on out. She would never have to worry about anything. She'd be taken care of, that she knew for sure, but something was missing. There was an emptiness inside her that refused to be ignored, even after she'd left the Underground and tried to move on with her life. There was a whole world waiting for her, many friends she relied on, dangers untold… but that was the thinking of a little girl. She was an adult now. And marrying the son of a senator was the adult choice to make; the practical decision to make. And so, with a deep breath, she nodded her head to Daniel with a smile she had to force.

"Yes, Daniel. I'll marry you," and it was the happiness in his eyes that broke her heart. He slipped the ring on her finger with ease and stood up. The applause around the restaurant was deafening as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She could feel the joy coming off him in waves, and it killed her.

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In the Underground, Jareth, The Goblin King threw a crystal against the wall and watched it shatter into millions of tiny pieces. Enough was enough. He'd waited for her. She didn't know how much he wanted her, how much he needed her, but he always expected her to come back; even if it was only to see Hogwart. That mirror she used to contact him, the fox and the monster had long since been put away, along with the dolls and trinkets that used to adorn her room. He'd watched her grow from afar, and everyday he waited for her to call him to her. All she had to do was say his name. He could, just as easily, made a trip Aboveground and tell her everything. He wanted to rule her, he wanted to make her his. But his pride would not allow him to be the one to break first; The Goblin King gave in to no one and nothing. Not even her. She'd beaten him once, stung his pride, left him after he begged and she rejected him, and for that he swore to himself that he would wait until she called upon him again to see her face to face. However, extenuating circumstances called for a deviation from his plans. She would not be in the arms of another man. He wouldn't allow it. She was, after all, his.

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	2. Chapter II

There was sadness in Sarah lately. The mere appearance of impropriety could not be accepted, and for that she was happy – she could still stay at her own apartment and at least have the nights to herself – for a while. The addition of the police cars that conveniently drove up and down her street (more in one night than she'd ever seen in the two years that she'd lived there), was a pain. She understood that it was for her own protection.

Sarah had already turned heads when she first started seeing Daniel. As a girl who always thought herself plain, Daniel reminded her on several occasions that she was gorgeous. She'd grown a few more inches (though not many) retained that innocent look about her (those exotic green eyes that were always wide and searching) and her attitude added to the package (she was defiant against all reason when she wanted to be, and boy did she still know how to throw a temper tantrum) and Daniel knew how much of a catch she was immediately.

Being the son of a Senator, Daniel knew that he would have to marry young – start a family and continue in his father's footsteps. His father was old, and wasn't going to run again – and Daniel had started campaigning as soon as his father told him the news. Now it was time to start building an image. Sarah Williams was from a small town, had an excellent past (yes, he had it checked out), and when they'd met in their religion class, Daniel knew that he had to make her a part of his life. She was perfect for what he needed –a good girl with a clean image and past to help him win the election. It wasn't that he didn't love her – he did – but the plus side was what she could do for them. She was a piece of a puzzle that he needed, and now, with their picture in the paper of him down on one knee (his PR people were brilliant!), all eyes were on them (him). And he intended to capitalize on that idea.

Sarah plopped down on her bed with a sigh. She looked around her room and realized just how not herself she'd become over the years. She longed for the times when things were simple. When her room was solace from the world outside; now it felt like a trap – and oubliette of sorts – and she didn't know the way out. There was no Hoggle to rescue her from this mess she'd gotten herself into this time. At least when she was Underground, she had a mission – get to the castle beyond the Goblin city to rescue Toby (who was _not _a fan of Daniel), and defeat the Goblin King. She wasn't so sure that the last part was the best decision she'd ever made. But what's said is said – and there was nothing that she could do about it now. She stared up at the ceiling with a groan, begging for the sweet release of sleep, and soon, she got her wish.

This is what Jareth was waiting for. The longing for escape from her world; the need to be in his. He would come to her, if only in her sleep. She was restless – twisting and turning in her sheets, as restless as she was in her dream, only, in her dream, she knew why.

She was very aware of where she was – she'd seen it hundreds of times in her dreams. This was the first place outside of her bedroom that she'd stood next to the Goblin King. She could still feel his breath on the back of her neck as she looked out over the vast land that was his labyrinth.

"It's further than you think, and time is short," Jareth smirked at her, causing her to whip around and almost lose her balance. He was quite as she remembered. Leaning against a tree, his hair wild and unruly, that slight glint of mischief in his mismatched eyes, arms folded across his chest as he eyed her top to bottom. "Well, well young Sarah – what are you doing here? Feeling a little lost, perhaps, Precious? Unfocused?"

Sarah was speechless for a moment, taking him in slowly – he was much more beautiful than she remembered him – but that was through the eyes of a young girl. Now she took in his angular features and he stirred within her, feelings that she'd never thought she'd feel. Feelings that she thought she'd eventually feel for Daniel but did not – yet a few words from Jareth and she leaned in toward him as if he'd summoned her there.

A crook of his finger, and she was as close as she dared to get. He stood to his full height looking down at her, and she up at him. "Miss me, Precious?"

She swooned toward him for only a moment before she whispered to him, "Get out of my head, Jareth."

She woke up in a cold sweat sitting straight up in her bed and took a moment to catch her breath. She groaned and plopped back down on her mattress with a hiccup. She really didn't need this right now.

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**R&R and i'll love you forever.**


	3. Chapter III

It had been a few weeks since Sarah had that dream. In some respects, it woke her up. Made her take a good look at her life and notice that she'd lived in a dream world - after she'd left the Underground. Then again, looking back, she wasn't completely sure that the Underground wasn't just the elaborate dream she'd made up. It seemed like so long ago, perhaps it was never real.

Wedding plans were in full force now – Daniel's PR people were ALL over this, so much so that her head was on a swivel all day until she went to sleep. In which case, she was chasing something that she never caught up to, and woke up more tired than she was the day before. Staring up at the ceiling, as was her routine until she finally fell asleep, her mind raced to earlier in the day.

As a child, she always knew that she wanted a beautiful wedding. The details changed with age, but all the same, she knew what she wanted. One of the things she definitely wanted was to be able to pick her own wedding dress. It didn't look like she was going to have much input there. She'd turned down two or three over the last weeks, but it seemed that she was going to be dressed by a designer that also happened to be a friend (and high contributor) to the family.

She got out of bed with a sigh; headed right to her window and opened it. It was fall and the icy air that blasted through the window was an odd relief. It blew right threw her t-shirt and pajama bottoms. She closed her eyes and wished she wasn't there.

Jareth narrowed her eyes at his crystal. He'd been quite disturbed with the past few weeks' developments. Seeing his Sarah in wedding dresses to take the hand of another man maddened him more than he'd like to admit. His kingdom was reflected his mood. The goblins around the castle kept their distance. The runners of his Labyrinth were met with particularly harder tasks than usual, and Jareth's particularly bad mood didn't offer any of his usual mischief. New goblins had run amiss lately, and he didn't even enjoy his victories.

All she had to do was call to him. It was like her last moments in the Escher room, he almost begged her to stop – to stay there with him. As he had pointed out, he asked for very little. All this could have been avoided if she'd not been so stubborn. If she wasn't still so stubborn. She was the exception, the Goblin King bowed before no one, begged no one, and even though he was only seconds before doing so before she rejected him, he would not now. With a wave of his hand, the crystal disappeared.

"Oh, Precious. How long are you going to keep doing this to yourself? To us? Darling, just call out to me and I can end your suffering there." He lounged across his throne with a sigh. Of course, her suffering there would end there. She had amends to make up for in the Underground. And she would.

How long would it take for her to call out to him? Not long. Not long at all.

Sarah closed her eyes tight and took in a deep breath of the cold night air.

"I wish the Goblin King would come and take me away. Right now."

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**all i want is a little love - i promise you'll like what you get in return.**


	4. Chapter IV

Nothing happened. Nothing happened, and Sarah almost broke down into tears. It was a long shot, she knew, but considering the dreams she'd been having lately, she thought, perhaps, she wasn't crazy – and her time in the Underground wasn't just a dream. She was obviously wrong.

With a sigh, she turned away from the window and turned on the lights. She made her way to the closet where three new dresses hung from the door. She didn't like any of them, but she didn't have much choice. This was the life that she'd chosen for herself, and no magic words were going to make things right this time. She fingered the lace on one of them with a pout. This wasn't at all her style. This was entirely too… "Fashion Week Runway" for her. The new designs and details were not at all what she pictured herself in. One of them wasn't even white -some soft blue color, which she had a problem with immediately. Her gown was going to be white. That was where she was going to draw the line. If the PR people didn't like it, she was going to call off the wedding out of spite - not that she hadn't been reconsidering the proposal already.

She'd not said anything to anyone about it, but her father could tell she wasn't happy. There was something in her eyes that let him know that she wasn't happy. Against all of his instincts, when she'd called him, he'd done his best to make her think that he was happy for her – to tell her that this was an amazing opportunity for her. The word 'opportunity' was one that made her cringe. She didn't want her husband to be an opportunity anymore that she herself wanted to be an opportunity. The word had been thrown around so much lately that she was considering removing it from her vocabulary all together.

She hadn't seen Daniel much away from press related events, and he seemed to be more focused on election polls than her. While she understood that his 'numbers', as he'd called them, were important, the man did just ask her to marry him.

Her wardrobe had been changing lately, too. Instead of her normal laid back style, she was being forced into business suits and sensible shoes. She warned her newly appointed assistant, Carol, that if she touched her sneakers, she would hang her from the rafters of their next press appearance. That had turned into an argument that let Carol know that Sarah wasn't going down without a fight. Sarah had threatened to buy a hundred pair of the same sneakers and wear them to every public appearance she'd be forced to go to. After about 15 minutes of Sarah staring Carol down, her green eyes practically begging Carol to test her, Carol gave in, her hands thrown up in the air as she stormed out of her apartment. It was the small victories that Sarah had learned to savor.

Sarah grabbed the dresses and walked back to her bed, setting them down with absolute distaste. The blue one, the one that was absolutely out of the question, she tossed to the floor in a heap in the corner of her room. Easily $100,000 crumpled on the floor. The other two weren't TOO bad. Nothing that she would pick for herself, but nothing that she would throw herself into the river over. She picked one of them up and held it against herself. This wasn't right. It just wasn't right.

Jareth took a moment or two to savor his victory. He appeared in her room without saying a word and watched her as she took the monstrosities that someone was calling wedding dresses from the closet and set them down on the bed. He almost said something at that point, but then she picked up one of the dresses and tossed it across the room as effortlessly as another person would breathe – didn't even give it a second glance. That was his Sarah - full of fight and spirit. It wasn't until she held another dress up against herself that he spoke.

"Well, I don't think that's your style at all, precious. In fact, it's hideous. I can't believe you're even considering it."

Sarah dropped the dress where she stood and closed her eyes, expecting to turn around and see nothing there. She took a deep breath and turned slowly. She didn't know if she was dreaming or not, but she couldn't imagine that she'd dreamed up something so real looking. "Are you real," she asked, "or am I really going crazy this time?"

Jareth let out one of his signature laughs and pushed off the wall that he was leaning against, sauntering over to her like a cat. "Do I look real to you, Sarah," he asked with a smirk. "Do I look like something that you've imagined?"

"It wouldn't be the first time." She watched him as he circled her, as if he were sizing her up for a fight. He circled in closer with every pass. She was getting dizzy, and it felt oddly familiar to her. Everything was dancing around her and all she could see was him. Yes, familiar and disturbing at the same time. "Why are you here then, if I'm not really in a padded cell somewhere?"

"Sarah, darling, you called me, remember? It barley happened that long ago. In your time, it was about 30 minutes ago." He stopped right in front of her, reached out and brushed a gloved hand across her cheek. She hated that she did it, but she leaned into his hand like a cat seeking warmth in the sun.

"I didn't know it would work, I thought it was all just a dream." She closed her eyes and took in all she could about him before she woke up. He smelled so good – no – even her imagination was that good. She couldn't have made that smell up if she tried.

"Still saying things that you don't mean, precious? I thought you would have learned your lesson by now. Then again, you did agree to marry that silly boy when you didn't mean it. Apparently that's one lesson that just won't seep into that stubborn head of yours."

Sarah's eyes popped open as if she'd been smacked across the face. She immediately jumped back away from him, as if his touch were fire. "What would you know about it? Please don't think that because you tired to trick me when I was 15 that you know me now, Jareth."

"Oh, darling – I've been watching you since you left me – and rather rudely, might I add – and haven't stopped since. I know a lot about you Sarah Williams, or should I say the future Mrs. Ford?"

She just stood there for a moment, wide eyed, until that look turned into something that Jareth knew rather well. He smiled and waited for the torrent of words that he just knew was coming. Sarah surprised him though, as she often did, and simply turned away from him with the flick of her wrist.

"You can go now. I made a mistake calling you here. What were the lines to make you disappear last time? 'You have no power over me'? Feel free to leave at any time."

This is what he'd been waiting for. Jareth grabbed her by the same wrist that she'd just flipped him away with and pulled her around to him. Rather forcefully, he backed her up against the nearest wall. He buried one hand in the hair at the base of her neck and tilted her head to the side, while the other pinned her at the hip. He leaned in so close that the air that left him tickled her ear and gave her goosebumps from head to toe.

"See, that's where you're wrong this time Sarah," he said as he lightly brushed his lips across her neck, making her shiver. She could feel his smile against her neck. "This time, there is no calling me off. You've offered me nothing, and I've offered nothing in return. You've called me here. There is no game to win this time, love. " He nipped at her ear, got lost nuzzling her neck for a moment before releasing her hair and grabbing her by the chin to make her look up at him. "This time, when the stakes are revealed, you'll see how in control I am this time." He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers lightly. He waited until she got over her initial shock and responded to him to pull away. That was all she was going to get for now just a little tease. "I'll be back soon, precious." And with that he disappeared.

Sarah slumped down the wall, her breath coming in rushed gasps until she heard a knock at the door. She took a moment to compose herself before she ran down the steps and looked in the peep hole. It was a police officer. She opened the door enough to poke her head around and looked at him expectantly.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Williams, but I thought I saw someone in the apartment with you through the window. Are you ok?"

Yes, I'm fine. There's no one in here with me. Feel free to come in and check if you'd like."

The man blushed a little at her comment and nodded his head. "No need for that, ma'am. It must have been my imagination. Good night."

Sarah shut the door with a sigh. "I don't think it's anyone's imagination this time," was all she could mutter before she made her way back to her room and got in the bed. She didn't dream that night.

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**show me you love me and i'll show how much i love you in return.**


	5. Chapter V

"I don't want to wear them!" Sarah glared at Carol, but she didn't think she was going to win this one.

"Sarah, they're heels and you only have to wear them for a couple of hou—"

"The gown comes to the floor and no one is going to see them!"

"And someone is going to ask you about them, you'll show them the shoes and tell them who they're made by." Carol looked rather calm for the conversation she was having and who she was having it with. She was onto Sarah's games. A temper tantrum wasn't going to get her out of this one.

Sarah huffed and took the strappy things from Carol. They were navy blue, way too high and a pain to strap into; though even she had to admit that they matched beautifully with her icy blue gown. Not that she would admit that to anyone. Especially Carol.

This was the part about Daniel's life that she hated. She was primed and prodded, pinned, made-up and rushed to a limo where Daniel was waiting for her.

"You look stunning," he smiled at her after she sat down. "Now, I know you hate these things, but this is an important one. There's going to be a lot of potential donors there and we'll need them as election time gets closer. Just flash them that pretty smile of yours that made me fall in love with you, and they'll melt."

It was when he said things like that to her that she thought that she loved him. In fact, she did – but it just wasn't enough. Especially lately. She wanted the fairy tale. "Of course, love. Anything for you," and then she did flash that million dollar smile.

Not long after, they were making their way into the dining hall where she sat to his left, his campaign manager to his right and made his thank you speech. She tried her hardest not to roll her eyes and prayed that she pulled it off. There were a lot of flash bulbs going off in that room. Daniel stood and offered his hand to Sarah as the band began to play and whisked her off to the dance floor.

He leaned his mouth down close to her ear and she closed her eyes. This is what she wanted. Little intimate moments, whispers that made her hair stand up on her arms. She waited for to lean in and kiss her – only, it didn't happen. He did whisper, but it was only to give her direction, "Smile for the cameras darling. This will be in the papers tomorrow morning."

She was back at the table, making small talk with people she'd never met and would easily forget the names of, until someone tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around, another 'thank you for your donation' ready to spill from her lips until she saw who it was – and nearly fainted.

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She didn't even get a word out of her mouth before Daniel came up from behind her and offered his hand to the man. "Daniel Ford, I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting you yet," smiling his please give us money smile, the man took his hand in a firm shake.

"No, I don't believe we've met, Mr. Ford. My name and Jareth Smith – I've been following you for a while now." He looked down at Sarah with a smile, knowing just how uncomfortable he was making her. "This must be your lovely fiancé, Sarah. May I say that you're much prettier in person than you are on television." Sarah could barely manage a weak smile and a thank you, before standing. She needed to leave, any excuse would do – and she'd deal with him later. "Sarah, why don't you go for a spin around the floor with Mr. Smith? I'm sure he'd enjoy that."

'Yeah, more than he'd ever admit to you, Danny,' was all she could think.

"Oh, yes. I think that would be just lovely," he said with a smirk as he held his hand out for her. Sarah couldn't believe this was happening, but all she could do was take his hand and allow him to take her out on the floor.

"Don't keep her too long, Mr. Smith – she is mine after all!" Daniel announced as he watched the two of them walk away. Jareth simply looked over his should back at the man with a smirk that Sarah knew all too well.

Jareth all but jerked Sarah into his arms and began spinning with her. "It's almost ironic, isn't it? Dancing with you with the permission of your fiancé?"

"You don't have permission from me. I'd really like it if you'd let me go."

"But I have permission from him, Sarah. He just handed you over to me without the bat of an eyelash. Funny, whenever I told you to do something, you ignored me. Yet here you are, dressed up like a pretty doll, listening to Danny over there like he had some kind of spell over you. He doesn't, does he?" He brushed a hair from her face almost lovingly looking down at her.

"I don't know – I'm sure you'd know better than I. Then again, I've not eaten and enchanted peaches lately that I can remember." She narrowed her eyes at him as she tried to pull away. There was no point. He wasn't going to let her go until he wanted to. In fact, he just pulled her closer. There wasn't an inch between the two of them, and Sarah was quite aware of the people looking at them.

"Don't you think you should let me go now? This is extremely inappropriate."

"Well, precious, as you surely remember, I don't really like following any rules. I don't plan on starting now."

She tried to push him away again, but she was getting nowhere. She started looking around unhappily.

"Let me go, Jareth. Danny's going to be upset. My assistant is probably going to faint and the news papers are here flashing their cameras like we're movie stars. Let. Me. Go."

"I don't think so, love. Not right now. Perhaps later. You say you want me to let you go, yet, you're holding onto me rather tightly. You're going to wrinkle my suit."

She didn't need to look to know he was telling the truth. Her arms immediately relaxed against him with a huff. She almost laughed when he mentioned a suit, though. She didn't really notice that he was wearing "normal" clothes. She was too busy staring at his face. His hair was cropped short, the suit was tailored to fit him perfectly – he looked like a super model. The PR people were going to be up all night trying to spin this one.

"It seems that I've upset your fiancé, darling. I'm afraid that I'll have to make my exit now. Perhaps I'll come visit you later." And the bastard had the nerve to wink at her before letting her go.

With a slight nod of the head, he walked out of the room without a glance back. He seemed completely unphased; oblivious to the murmurs around the room.

Sarah, on the other hand, was not oblivious to the situation. Her face was flushed, though she couldn't tell if it was from the embarrassment of the situation, the fact that Danny was on his way over to her looking none too happy or if it was just because she was in such close proximity to Jareth. Not that it mattered. The damage had been done. Danny rushed over to her and assumed the position previously occupied but one cocky Goblin King.

"What the hell was that, Sarah?"

"You passed me off to him. Don't be upset if that didn't go according to your plans. I hope he donates a ton of cash to your campaign. Wouldn't want that little display of whoring me off go to waste."

She waited until the song was over before she left him to go to the restroom. Carol was waiting for her; looking like her head was going to explode right off her shoulders. All she heard from her was 'can't let you out anywhere', 'I can't believe this' and 'you're not coming out of the house until I fix this.'

She was fine with that. She needed a break.

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**a break, indeed. r&r - let me know how much of a break i need to take. **


	6. Chapter VI

Sarah was rushed to her apartment by Carol, after a 'we'll talk about this later' look from Danny. This was not going to end well.

She was truly trapped at this point. She couldn't leave the house for now (the body guard outside of her apartment was making sure that wasn't going to happen), there were photographers outside her front door (thus the need for the bodyguard), and His Majesty could show up any moment.

And he didn't disappoint.

"Well, you've gotten yourself into quite a predicament, haven't you, Precious?"

She ran at him with the intention of choking the life out of him, not really taking the time to consider if she could even do that. Nonetheless, fists balled at her side, she ran at him (glad she kicked those shoes off her feet) like she was going to tackle him. He easily brushed her off like she was no more than an annoying fly.

"Darling, please don't hurt yourself. I couldn't bare it if you ruined your pretty little dress."

"I'm going to kill you, I swear," she said as she lunged at him.

Again he simply moved out of the way. "Impossible," he said with a smirk.

The third time she went after him (getting more annoyed at him with each pass); he simply grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.

"I thought we were done dancing for the night, precious. As always, you surprise me, pleasantly this time."

"Let me go! There's a body guard right outside the door. I'll scream."

When he laughed at her, she started grinding her teeth. "I'm not really concerned, Sarah. Honestly, what do you think he could do to me?"

"Do you have any idea what you've done? All the trouble you've caused?"

His eyes danced with mischief; he didn't even have to say anything for her to know that he knew exactly what he was doing – and was enjoying it.

She didn't know how it happened, but his lips were on hers so fast that she didn't realize what was happening right away. She didn't have time to react, and that was exactly what Jareth was counting on. She was kissing him back before she had time to stop herself. His hands were in her hair, pulling out the pins that kept it off her shoulders, dropping them to the floor; her hands finding his shirt (which she noticed absently was definitely his shirt. She knew that suit wasn't going to last any longer than it had to) pulling at the fabric to get it opened. She never admitted it to herself, but she wanted this. She'd always wanted this – and if she didn't know it on a conscious level, her body certainly knew it.

Her head was tilted to the side, and Jareth took advantage of that, nipping at her neck her ear, her jaw. As soon as she had the opportunity, she returned the favor, kissing across his chest; his taste a heady wine that she couldn't get enough of. He lifted her, her legs immediately locking around his waist as he made his way over to the bed.

She offered no resistance as he pushed against her, almost certain that she was going to die, he pulled the strap of her dress down off her shoulder and started making a trail down her chest before she stopped him.

"We can't do this. I'm getting married, this isn't fair to Danny."

He only stopped for a moment, his mismatched eyes meeting hers with a lethal warning.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Fair is not a word in my vocabulary. In fact, I would appreciate it if you would kindly stop using it."

"But it isn't. I promised him that I was going to –"

He was hovering over her again, lips on hers and suddenly, she had no idea what she was saying. He inched her dress down further, his lips making a hot trail down her body. Her hands latched onto his hair and she was lost. She didn't care what he did, what was going on in the outside world; all that mattered was him, and what he was doing.

She shot straight up on the bed, resting her weight back on her hands.

"Jareth, we have to stop! Danny will –"

Jareth pushed off of her and stood over her, the rage in his eyes was enough to burn down her entire apartment… and the entire block surrounding it.

"Say his name again, and I swear you won't like what I do. Don't defy me, Sarah."

There was a knock at the door, and Sarah turned toward it, as pale as a ghost. Jareth simply smirked.

"Well, darling… this is going to be interesting."

She didn't have a moment to process that statement before Danny came through the door. If ever there was a time that Jareth should disappear, now was it. Of course, he wasn't going anywhere.

"Sarah, what the hell—"

There was nothing that she could say. Her dress was hanging off her hips, her hair was a mess, and there were little red marks over her shoulders and neck from where Jareth had decided she was dinner, though as she looked back on it, she didn't remember being mad at him for doing it. She tried to cover herself as best she could with the sheet on the bed behind her. Danny ran towards Jareth and Sarah lunged at him to stop him.

"Danny, don't—"

And just like that, Danny was gone. Sarah looked to Jareth with wide eyes.

"What did you do?"

"I warned you not to mention his name again. I'm not very good at sharing."

"Where is he?"

"You know very well where he is."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"There's nothing even remotely humorous about this, Sarah. Let me tell you – Toby, I was going to turn into a goblin. Cruel? Perhaps, but that's nothing compared to what I'm going to do with your loving fiancé."

Sarah didn't have words. She knew there was no way out of this one. Jareth had more than the upper hand this time. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"What are the rules this time, Jareth," she asked through gritted teeth.

He could barely contain his grin as he looked down at her.

"Ahh, the rules. Well, Sarah, darling. Danny boy should be your first concern. If you don't make it through this time, he's going to die. Please don't test me on this. I've waited entirely too long – planned this out too well to go back now. You have 13 hours as before, but there won't be any help. My labyrinth has changed much over the years, so don't expect to follow your footsteps."

There was no way he was finished, there had to be something else.

"Ok, I get through, Danny doesn't die. He and I get to go home and you won't bother either of us again. If I lose, what do you get?"

He smirked at her and shook his head.

"Are you that blind, dear one? If I win… I get you."

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**i'm not blind! i can see your reviews ... when you leave them.**


	7. Chapter VII

Danny looked around, though he couldn't really see anything. It was dark and cold and perhaps a little damp. She stood slowly, trying to allow his eyes to adjust to the dark. He put his hands out to feel how close the walls were. The answer was pretty close. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, knowing that it was a long shot, but hoping he was wrong. He wasn't. No bars, but the light from it was enough for him to get a good look around. He almost wished that he didn't see it. It was what he imagined solitary confinement in jail would look like. Hardly enough room to move around, the walls were dewy, it smelled weird, and he was almost sure there was human skull in the corner. He removed his suit jacket and placed it on the ground and sat on it, trying to make as little contact with the floor as possible. What the hell had he done to deserve this?

He thought about just that for a moment, he'd been good to the people he loved as he grew up; his parents, his brothers and sisters. He'd kept his nose pretty clean over the years, bedded a few females more than he should have, perhaps, but generally kept himself out of trouble. Had to. Considering the position his father was in, anything he (or his siblings) did were news stories. Girlfriends and boyfriends were heavily researched, their family, their upbringing, _their_ ex boyfriends and girlfriends.

That's why when he'd met Sarah, he'd taken that opportunity as soon as he'd seen it. She was perfect for his political career. She was sweet, unknown, her background was spotless; no ex-boyfriends to be worried about (though, considering the recent developments, perhaps they should have looked deeper).

When he'd seen her in class for the first time, he knew he'd have to have her. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on. That skin so fair that it looked like fresh cream, hair the color of the night sky, eyes that reminded him of the ancient stories of Egyptian cats – that's how green they were. She'd blushed the first time he'd spoken to her. He could tell that she was awkward naturally, and attention from him (she said she didn't know who he was when they'd met, but he still didn't believe her) made her a little uneasy. It had taken weeks for him to get her out on a date, longer than that to kiss her. He'd never met anyone so prude before.

Perhaps that was why he'd been sleeping with Carol so long. Hell, a man had needs and he was going to get what he needed and Sarah wasn't willing to give it to him. Carol was more than willing, and he took that opportunity, too. In retrospect, sending her as Sarah's assistant probably wasn't the best of ideas. Though he didn't think Sarah knew anything, Carol shot daggers that he could see from miles away whenever she caught a glimpse of that ring on Sarah's finger. Yeah, that was probably a bad idea – though it was fun watching Carol put Sarah in the most glam and uncomfortable clothing possible. And she did look stunning tonight.

Tonight. What the hell happened tonight? He should have known her past was too squeaky clean to be true. Who the hell was he? Earlier, the man – or whatever the hell he was – looked relatively normal – quite handsome, actually. It wasn't hard to see how someone would be attracted to someone who looked like that – though Sarah seemed uncomfortable and uneasy when she was around him then – but when he'd seen him just a few minutes ago, he looked like a villain from a fairytale. Handsome, yes, but nothing that someone like Sarah would be into. Or anyone normal for that matter.

Then again, Sarah wasn't exactly normal in his eyes anymore. There was no doubt what they'd been doing in her room before he walked in. He'd never seen Sarah so flushed. Or that naked before, actually. She was just as beautiful as he imagined she'd be – minus the marks that "Jareth" had left up and down her. He loved Sarah – not as much as he could be – perhaps he wasn't even _in love _with her – but she was his, had promised to be his, and wasn't going to take the insult lying down.

"As soon as I get out of here, that engagement is off," he muttered under his breath to no one.

"Did you really think she was going to marry you? I don't know if she would have gone through with it even if I hadn't shown up. Then again, she's full of surprises, that one is, as you now know," Jareth smirked from the wall he was perching against. Not that Danny could see him; it was dark as pitch in that oubliette.

Danny jumped up, balled fists, and stormed in Jareth's direction. "You son of a bitch,"

Jareth laughed and held up his hand. "Your Majesty will do just fine, though, considering our situation, you may call me Jareth."

Danny lunged at him with all the power he had – only to land his fists against the wall where Jareth once stood. Jareth was on the other side of the room.

"Well, that's not going to get you anything except a bloody hand." Jareth's eyes sparkled in the dark at the man's obvious rage.

Danny stood still, eyes closed, teeth grinding. "What did you do with her?"

Jareth arched a brow at him with a grin. "Sarah? Well, my precious is currently at the beginning of my labyrinth, trying to rescue you, actually. You should be grateful. My immediate plan was to just kill you. Lucky you, I like playing games every once in a while."

Realizing that he was dealing with an egomaniacal maniac, Daniel just gave up fighting with sagged shoulders. "So, what do I have to do to get out of here?"

Jareth threw his head back and laughed for a few moments. If he was human, he'd probably have a stomach cramp.

"There's nothing you can do to get out of here. Your fate relies completely on her. Let's hope you were as good to her as she to you, and she has no reason to just let you die. I don't think she has that in her, but who knows. People do strange things when they find out their fiancé has been cheating on them. I wonder how she'd react… She does have an awful temper."

Danny's eyes snapped up to Jareth's direction and Jareth could smell the fear in him.

"Don't worry – Sarah's heart is too big for that. You'd just better hope she makes it through in time. I don't have good manners and I love to play with my prisoners. Your death would be slow and painful."

Danny flopped down on the ground underneath him with a sigh. "How does she even know you?"

"Ahhh… that's a long story. It began not too dissimilar to this situation, but her brother was involved – and I wasn't going to kill him – just turn him into a Goblin. She called out to me, and I answered her – I can only come to her when she calls me. Ever the stubborn Sarah, she wanted more from me, and I gave her what she wanted – a chance to win her brother back. Unfortunately for me, I under estimated her and she bested me." Jareth shrugged on a small sigh. "Things are different this time…" Jareth's mind seemed to wander for a moment, until Danny spoke again.

"You can't come to her unless she calls you? She called you? How long has this been going on?"

Jareth rolled his eyes at the man before speaking again. "Yes, she called to me. I only answered in her dreams, and once in her room before tonight."

Jareth could taste the anger in the air. It tasted like sour milk on his tongue, and this caused him to smile again.

"Did you two… have you—"

"Taken her? No, not yet. But there'll be plenty of time for that later. Though, if you hadn't shown up tonight, who knows what would have happened." Jareth waved him off and moved to leave before Danny spoke again.

"You seem quite sure of yourself. A little too sure. How do you know you're going to win?"

From out of nowhere, light exploded in the room. Jareth leaned down to Danny, his mismatched eyes scorching into his.

"I'm only going to say this once. If I have to repeat myself, you'll lose a limb each time…"

Jareth leaned in closer so that he was all Danny could see.

"I'm going to win, because she is mine."

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	8. Chapter VIII

"Well this is interesting," Sarah said on a sigh. She looked around with a frown. This didn't look anything like it did before. There was no wall to throw herself against in a fit this time. She was _in _the labyrinth. And it looked nothing like it looked the last time she was there.

It wasn't green and beautiful anymore; the sky was not the bright colors it was before. No, this place was scary. The colors were little more than grey scale, the sky was dark and the thunder rumbling in the distance threatened rain.

She'd asked Jareth if she could change out of her gown before he zipped her off to the Underground. He's obliged on the stipulation that he could pick what she wore. "Still trying to dress me up like a pretty doll, Jareth," she asked him in earnest.

"Of course, pet. You are my little doll. Or, at least, you will be." He smirked, looking through her closet until he out a pair black pants, a black cardigan and crisp emerald button down. "Nothing too offensive there, darling. I'll have plenty of time to make you wear what I want you to wear later." He kicked her sneakers over to her, "We'll be getting rid of those soon, too. I just can't stand to see you in those… denims I think they call them."

Sarah rolled her eyes with flourish. "What does it matter what I wear, Jareth – "

"Because I'll be watching you the entire time, Precious," he cut her off. "I don't want to see you looking so… common."

She was dressed in a few minutes, and before she could ask another question, she was unceremoniously warped to… wherever the hell she was.

She looked up at the sky for a moment, knowing damned well that _His Majesty_ would be making an appearance soon. She placed her hands on her hips, "Can we get this part over with already, please?"

Never one to disappoint, Jareth appeared behind her and snaked his arms between hers, resting them on her hips. Her head was now leaning against his chest looking up at him. Upon everything holy, she meant to move. It was hard to do the logical thing when he was around.

"Darling, please don't do this to yourself. Give into me now and end this. The skies are looking awful this evening, it might get quite cold, and I don't want to have to see you like that; suffering. Let me rule you, just do as I say…" he trailed off pressing a kiss to her nose that was upturned at him.

"I can't. Can't you see that I can't?"

He simply smiled down at her lovingly. "I had a feeling you'd say that." He stepped back from her and turned her around to face him. "He's not completely innocent in this, you know, darling."

"No one's ever completely innocent, Jareth." She found herself leaning toward him, almost hoping he'd touch her again. She wouldn't get her wish, _this time._

"As you wish, love. But please don't say I didn't warn you. Just know that whenever you've given up, call out to me. That's all you'll ever need to do."

And he was gone. Just like that, he was gone, and she was already mourning the loss of him and she moved on into the labyrinth. Would she have stayed with him? Perhaps. But not at the expense of another person's life – and definitely not the life of someone she loved.

She pulled her sweater tighter around herself and started walking against the wind. She put her head down. The only way she was going to get through this was one step at a time.

* * *

"Well what the fuck is this?" Carol glanced down at the ground and back up at the ceiling. She had no Earthly idea where she was or how she got there. As she remembered saying was that she wished she knew where the two of them had gotten off too, and here she was. Wherever this was.

"Such a foul moth for such a lovely looking lady."

Jareth smirked at her, giving her the look over a few times. She was beautiful by most standards with her blonde hair and deep-set blue eyes… but she wasn't what he wanted. Already he longed to see his green eyed beauty; but this had to be taken care of first.

"I know you! You're the man that was dancing with Sarah at the charity ball earlier! Where is he? I mean where are _they_?"

Jareth laughed at the woman – no he didn't understand why Daniel would pick her over his Sarah. There was no fire in her – no fight. She'd given up before she'd even begun, Daniel would be much a happier with her. Someone that would just do as she was told, someone who would mindlessly follow him around like a zombie.

Yes, he wanted to rule Sarah – wanted her to worship him - fear him – but it was Sarah's fight that drew him in. The fact that, even when she was his, he would never really _control _her. That was the joy of her – she would fight him tooth and nail and he would love every minute of it.

"Well, Carol. Sarah is in my Labyrinth, she's gotten started I believe," he said as he pulled out a crystal and checked on her progress – it was raining now. He watched her for a few moments longer than necessary before tearing his eyes away from her.

He twisted the crystal around and a picture of Daniel pacing around his oubliette flashed in the clear sphere.

"Danny!" she screamed as she lunged at the crystal.

"Not so fast, darling. We can't always just take what we want. There are choices to make." He held the crystal just out of her reach.

"What do I have to do?"

Jareth's mismatched eyes sparkled for a moment. "Just answer me one question. If you had to choose between me letting you and Danny go and killing Sarah, and Sarah run the labyrinth to save all three of your lives, which would you pick?"

Carol didn't blink, "Let me and Danny go."

Jareth's eyes turned dark, "You would have her killed, even if he doesn't love you?"

"Yes," she looked at him defiantly.

"What a pity," he shook his head. In a flash of white light, she and Jareth were in the same oubliette as Daniel.

She ran to his open arms and Jareth was trying his hardest to keep his temper.

"The two of you are pathetic, absolutely pathetic."

Carol looked to him with wide eyes. "That's ok – we're getting out of here. He asked me whether I would want us to go free and I said yes."

Daniel looked at Jareth over Carol's head. "At what price?"

Jareth looked Daniel in the eyes as Carol answered "Sarah's life."

"And did you accept is offer?" Danny's eyes never left Jareth's.

"I did." Danny finally looked down at Carol. "You would have her killed to get us out of here - after what we've done to her?"

"She knows?"

"No, Carol, she doesn't know yet. But she will. I have no doubt that he'll eventually tell her."

Jareth smiled, "Without a doubt."

"She could still save us all you know. There a chance –"

"And there's a chance that she won't and all of us will die. That's not a chance I'm willing to take."

Jareth didn't even bother to tell them that if Sarah lost, she wasn't going to die; they would. She was fighting for them to win – well Sarah didn't know that she was fighting for Carol now, too, but she would soon. He would never kill her. To kill her would be to kill him.

"Well, I'll let you two love birds work it out. I'll come back for your final decision in a bit." And just like that, he was gone.

* * *

Sarah was freezing cold. Freezing cold and soaked down to the bone – Jareth was right – it started raining - hard. She'd come so far – crossed lakes, solved puzzles, backtracked twice and still managed to find her way here. She knew she was close now. The warnings were getting louder, more frequent, and as Hoggle had told her in the past – that only happened when you were on the right track.

Jareth appeared behind her and watched her for a few minutes. She looked edible. Her long black hair flirted with her waist, soaked and matted to her clothing, which were matted to her figure. He couldn't resist anymore.

"Cold, love?"

She spun around to face him, her green eyes halfway hidden by the hair and rain that dripped down her face. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Obviously."

"I told you to just give up."

"You told me that before and I beat you," she said with a defiant smirk. He simply rolled his eyes at her and sat down on a bench behind him. He crooked his finger at her to have her come sit next to him. She followed, hesitantly.

"I have something to show you," he said as he pulled out a crystal.

"Yeah, I'm gonna believe anything that shows up on that thing," she muttered to herself.

"Sarah, I have no reason to lie to you now. I have the upper hand now."

She took a deep breath, knowing he was right this time. He showed her everything – Danny cheating on her, him saying that he didn't love her, Carol and her easy dismissal of her life – she was suddenly glad for the rain, she didn't want him to see her cry.

"Precious, do you still want to finish this labyrinth? After all this? Say the word, and they're gone forever. In this world and the next. You'll be where you belong – with me."

Sarah wanted to tell him that he was right. She belonged with him. But not at the expense of their lives. She just couldn't do it. No more than she could accept her dreams and let Toby go.

"I can't Jareth – not if you're going to kill them. I won't have anything to do with them again when we're above ground, but they don't deserve to die…"

And that was why he loved her. He stood and pulled her to him, his chin resting on her head.

"Sarah, please…" She looked up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers in his hair, the rain water slipping down his neck and in between her fingers. She wanted him so badly, but sometimes, the reality was more important than the dream. But at least for now, she could have the dream. She stood on her tip toes and touched her lips to his.

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**i don't have a beta - any ESL mistakes are my own. SO many people have added this to their favorite stories list (i'm stoked), but clicking the review button makes me feel all warm and tingly inside. the next chapter is going to be... well it's going to be why this story is rated M.**


	9. Chapter IX

Jareth kissed her back without hesitation, but grabbed her face in his hands and made her look at him when she started pushing at his shirt in order to get closer to him.

"Sarah," he looked down at her with hooded lids. "Have you changed your mind?" He wrapped his arms around her waist, her hair dripping little waterfalls on the backs of his hands.

She simply tightened her grip on his hair and pulled his mouth back to hers. Again Jareth got lost nuzzling her for a moment before leaning back while her mouth kissed along his jaw line. His head fell back on a groan. "Precious…? Are you giving up?"

She pushed herself closer to him and whispered against his skin "No," before looking up at him again.

Jareth's eyes darkened as he looked down at her; lightening flashed across the sky behind him.

"Then what are you doing Sarah?" He meant to push her away; to move her out of his personal bubble, lest she know what effect she had on him, but instead, pulled her closer.

"I'm living out one of my dreams. I wish the Goblin King would make love to me. Right now."

Jareth sighed down at her. He was breaking _his own_ rule, now. He wanted her; wanted everything she was offering him and more, and he would have it. But he wasn't sure if he wanted it this way. She was cheating.

"Now, Sarah, you know I can't do that. It would be against the rules and you know it. Give up – tell me that you give up and you can have me." He leaned in again and placed soft kisses against her jaw.

"There are no rules here, Jareth," she said as she peeled the soaking wet sweater from her own shoulders and tossed it to the bench. "Just give me what I want, Jareth."

He didn't know how it happened, but _he_ was now unbuttoning _her_ shirt and sliding it down over her creamy arms. "I always give you what you want, Precious."

"I want more," she said on a shudder. Her shirt was tossed to the muddy ground behind her, and Jareth's mouth immediately went for her neck, all gentle kisses and tugs of the skin. He could never deny her anything.

They were in the muddy grass before either of them knew it, Sarah's hair matted to her face as she frantically tried to lift herself closer to him; Jareth's hand gripped on her hip pushing her down, away from him. If he was going to do this, it was going to be his way. He'd already waited too long to get here.

His kisses were rough and urgent, but he was in control – every time Sarah pulled him closer, he pulled away again. Finally she realized that he was the one in control of this situation and that they were moving at his pace.

His wet hair dripped water onto her chest as he placed small kisses between her breasts; she arched her back into him and sighed when he nipped at her. His name escaped as a pleading moan on her lips and all he could do was chuckle.

"Slowly, darling. This isn't just _your _wish, and since I'm breaking the rules for you – again – we'll do this my way." His mouth trailed a hot path down her stomach, and he was pleased to feel her stomach muscles ripple beneath his lips. His hands made quick work of her pants and he took a moment to savor the sight of her wet pants peeling back from her smooth legs, the dark pants giving way to the creamiest skin he'd ever laid eyes on. It wasn't long before she was lying there in nothing except the drenched black lacey set that covered all the places he wanted to be. There was mud on her hands and arms; not something he imagined he'd see the first time he took her, but the sight of it, her skin slick and wet from the rain, the primal look of it all, had her panties yanked down her legs quicker than he'd remember doing later. He pressed his thigh between her legs, rubbing against her as her head fell back with a groan; he made quick work of her bra.

He gave himself only a moment to savor the sight of her, naked completely to him; head back against the wet ground, eyes closed begging him – finally – to touch her. He obliged happily. He placed his hand on her belly, covering the expanse between her hips with his palm, and slowly slid his hand up her torso, between her breasts and up her neck to lock his hand in her hair roughly. He pulled her to him, his mouth right at her ear, nipping at it before he whispered, "What do you want, Precious?"

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out; he pulled at her hair again; tighter this time. "What do you want Sarah," he whispered to her again.

"Y-y-you. I want you."

He chuckled, his breath warm against her neck. "Yes, darling. That's quite obvious now. I'm afraid you're going to have to be a little more specific than that." He pressed his thigh into her again, quite pleased when she tucked her face into his neck with a moan of frustration.

"I want you to touch me." She arched her back into him and again his hand was on her hip, pushing her back into the muddy grass.

"I am touching you darling," he said with a grin. Begging – he wanted her begging him.

"Please, Jareth… I.. I don't know—" She trailed off as he dipped his head down and ran his tongue slowly across one of her nipples.

"Do you want me to touch you there, darling?" Her answer was another moan, and when he wanted, he could follow directions quite well.

He alternated between the two most perfect breasts he'd ever seen – and he'd seen quite a few in his day – pinching and biting, licking and sucking; Sarah was breathless as his hands inched further down her torso.

"Where else, darling? Here," he asked with a smile on his lips as his fingers slid up her slit. She almost came out of her skin.

"Yes. Yes, please Jareth…" Her body, already slick from his teasing and the rain, offered no resistance as he slid two fingers inside of her.

She came immediately. Jareth looked at her, licking his lips as he watched her come undone, unable to press his lips against her to steal the breath from her mouth. She kissed him feverishly, a woman possessed in his hands.

Her kisses slowed until he began moving again. She came for him again, once, twice…

Sarah knew what was coming next when he removed his fingers from her and, after licking each one clean, began to remove his own clothing. Her breathing hitched at the sight of him; the rain was falling harder now, washing away to mud from her body, though she had a feeling it wouldn't stay that way for much longer. The look in his mismatched eyes gave her a shiver; they were as bright and fierce as the lightning that lit up the sky above them.

He was over her, his skin finally touching hers; he hissed. The feeling was much more intense than he could have ever imagined. His hand slid up the length of her leg, adjusting himself in the cradle between her hips. One hand flat on the ground above her head, his other arm wrapped around her waist to lift her from the ground, he simply looked into her eyes. He kissed her gently, trying to work out whatever tension she was beginning to feel. She melted against him, her arms snaking around his neck.

"Have you ever done this before, Sarah?" Her face was buried in the side of his neck and a simple shake of the head told him all he needed to know.

"Well, Precious, this is going to be unpleasant for a moment, I'm afraid." She was tense as she whispered that she knew against his jaw.

Never one to prolong unpleasant things, as soon as she'd braced herself, he entered her in one quick thrust. She bit into his shoulder – hard – but never whimpered, never cried out.

Jareth almost lost all control of himself right there. Her bite combined with the feeling of finally being inside of her tested all the self control that he had. He wondered how long he was going to have to wait for her – not that he wouldn't (and hadn't) wait for her forever until she lifted her face to look him in the eyes.

"Do that again." His eyes searched hers, wondering if he'd heard her correctly. He slid himself from her and entered her again.

Her head rolled back on her shoulders, "Again. Harder."

Jareth didn't need to be told a third time. He entered her quick and hard, faster each time, until she was screaming his name, her nails scoring his back, her teeth at his neck.

He was no gentler with her. She'd have matching bite marks across her neck and shoulders, bruises on her hips and shoulders from where he'd gripped her tighter and pulled her closer with each thrust. Her scalp would be sore from his pulling it back to get his mouth on her, and she'd love every second.

They came together; the screams lost in the sound of the thunder that rippled and cut through the sky, and as they lay there, joined, wet, covered in mud and grass, Sarah muttered three words into his neck that changed everything.

"I love you."

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	10. Chapter X

"I love you."

Once again, Sarah Williams managed to turn his world upside down. She loved him? He sat up taking her with him.

He just looked at her, amazed that she could look any more beautiful – but she did.

Her face was flush, a gorgeous red that that made her skin look like cream, her deep green eyes were glossy, her lips swollen from his kisses, her shoulders and neck covered in marks right where anyone who looked at her could see. Her hair was a wet mess, sticking to her bare shoulders and back and he had never before seen anything so stunning.

She loved him? His eyes darkened as he stood, pulling her with him. With a wave of his hand, they were both dressed. "Sarah, you have a job to attempt to complete. You have two hours left." And then he was gone.

Sarah stood there, looking at the spot where he had just stood and refused to cry. What was that all about? She told him that she loved him and… he walked away?

"Jareth," she screamed at the sky – but she knew he wouldn't come back right now. Not unless she said something he wanted to hear.

"Jareth, I'll make a deal with you!" She looked around, listening for him to appear again and was answered with nothing but silence.

* * *

Jareth stood before a confused and fearful Daniel and Carol. "Have you made your decision yet?"

Danny and Carol had been arguing about it since Jareth left them there hours before. Carol seemed sure in her decision, Daniel was still wavering.

Carol looked at him with the same unfaltering determination on her face and answered for the both of them.

"Yes," she simply stated as Daniel placed his face in his hands. Survival instinct was a strong thing in humans, and although Daniel was wrestling with the decision, ultimately, he was going to agree with Carol. This sickened him on so many levels, that it took all his self control to not to annihilate them immediately.

"Carol, perhaps this isn't the right decision. Maybe –"

"That's _enough_ Daniel! We're not having this discussion anymore. It was my wish, and if he's going to grant it, then I want out of here! I wish –"

Jareth put his hand up to silence her. Sarah was calling him, and she wanted to cut a deal. The smirk on his face was priceless. She was in the oubliette with them in a flash.

Sarah took a minute to adjust to the surroundings. Carol and Danny were huddled in the corner, Jareth stood, hands on hips, smiling that all too knowing smile that he had when he knew he had the upper hand.

Carol gasped when she saw Sarah; Daniel hopped to his feet to try and cross the room to her.

"Danny don't come anywhere near me. I mean it."

"Sarah, I'm so sorry –"

"I'm sure," she glared. She didn't realize that she was mimicking Jareth's stance, hands on her hips, looking at the two of them like _she _was the one in control.

Carol jumped at the opportunity to speak while Danny stood speechless.

"Sarah, I'm sorry, but if it comes down to us surviving and you, I'm sorry, but I'm going to pick us."

Sarah didn't say a word for a moment, before turning her head and looking to Jareth, whom she was none-too-pleased with.

"I don't want to continue running this labyrinth, but I don't want to you kill them, so I'll make a deal with you."

Jareth laughed deep in his stomach. "And what could you possibly offer me, dearest one?" His eyes twinkled.

"I'll give up—"

"No," Carol screamed as she jumped up. "That means we die – I still have my wish! I'll make it now."

Danny intervened immediately "Carol, just wait a moment."

"No, Danny. I can end this now and you and I can go home, end this and _we _can be together."

Sarah's mouth dropped to the floor. "That's what this is about?" She snatched the ring off her finger and threw it at Carol like it was nothing more than a piece of costume jewelry. "You were willing to let me die because –" She couldn't stop herself, she lunged at Carol, ready to rip her head from her shoulders, but Jareth just hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her back, restraining her as if she weighed nothing more than a rag doll.

"Ah, there's the temper that I love. But I can't let you hit her, darling. Not right now anyway." She simply stopped struggling in his arms. He seemed to have that effect on her.

Sarah's eyes shifted between the two of them, Daniel, looking obviously surprised to see Sarah acting in such a way, Carol hiding behind Daniel; it seemed she got the message and shut up.

"Jareth let them go and I'll give up right now. No strings attached and I'm yours." Saying it out loud didn't sound like too much of a sacrifice to her anymore. "I'll quit the labyrinth and come willingly – I'm yours to rule."

Her eyes never left the two of them, though she just knew Jareth was smiling behind her.

"Is that what you really wish, Precious?"

"Yes," she said without a glance backwards. She could see the hope in Danny eyes, the silent prayer on his lips that Jareth would accept her offer.

Jareth turned her around to look at her. The determination in her eyes, her chin up, her jaw set, he knew what the answer to his next question was going to be, but he had to be sure.

"Are you sure, Precious? There's no turning back after this." She simply nodded.

He sighed down at her, "Then say your right words."

She closed her eyes,

"I wish the Goblin King would send those two despicable people back Aboveground and take me in exchange."

And just like that, they were gone.

Jareth brushed a errant hair from her face, "Look at me Sarah."

She opened her eyes and met his multi-colored ones.

"Well, dear one. Now the real fun begins."

And like Daniel and Carol, they were gone.

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	11. Chapter XI

Danny and Carol were transported back to Danny's house, Carol stopping to grab her stomach to fight back the nausea caused by the sudden shift in dimensions, Danny far, far too gone in his own thoughts to notice her discomfort.

"We've got to get her back," Danny mumbled under his breath, not entirely sure what, if anything, he could do. Carol, for all she was worth, turned on the man who she'd been protesting her love to and pointed her finger at him severely.

"No, Daniel. _We _don't have to do anything. She made her choice. She chose to stay there, it was her decision."

Danny, visibly shaken by both her words and the reality of their situation, narrowed his hazel eyes at Carol, and for the first time that night, Carol had the good sense to shut her mouth.

"She's there because of us, Carol. _Because of us," _Danny barked at her, and even though he knew that to only be partially true, he couldn't stop the nagging feeling at the back of his head. Sure, whoever this Jareth person was had a history with Sarah, and true, whatever had passed between them was… personal to say the least, but there was no way he was going to stand back and allow someone to serve a life sentence because of his actions. In love with her or not, Danny did still have _feelings _for Sarah. Carol, on the other hand, was wearing out her welcome; her overt display of selfishness and carelessness was more than enough of a wake-up call for him and he voiced as much to the petite blonde not five feet from him. On her way out the door, she simply glanced over her shoulder and sighed.

"I'm pregnant," she muttered and shut the door behind her, leaving a gaping and confused Danny to stare at the finely treated oak.

* * *

Things were only going slightly better in the Underground where Jareth was currently pacing Sarah in a circle like she was some sort or prey; Sarah, a testament to her stubbornness, stood her ground, arms folded across her chest and watched him as if her were nothing more than an annoying fly buzzing around the room. In fact, Sarah was seriously considering swatting him like one.

It wasn't until leather clad hands gripped her arms tightly and her gaze locked with his polychromatic one did Sarah really start paying attention; and with him as close as he was, even that was fleeting.

"Did you mean it," he growled at her, and to her credit, Sarah didn't even flinch. She knew this was coming – the dark mood, the reconsideration of his decision; buyer's remorse, if you would. What in the world could she offer him that he didn't already have in spades? What could one ordinary human offer the Goblin King?

"Mean what," she asked him with a tilt of her head. If he was asking her if she wanted to go back on her deal, if that's what he was expecting, he was going to be seriously disappointed. She'd made her decision.

"Do you love me," he asked lowly, his voice barely that above a whisper as his eyes passed back and forth between hers, looking for something – anything that would make him believe her words.

Sarah sighed, wondering a few things. The first being if this was going to be the rest of her life now, his second guessing her decision and the fact that she loved him, and the second being _how could she not love him. _

"Yes," she said simply, hoping he found whatever he was looking for in her eyes. There was so much that she wanted to say, but couldn't; after all she'd done to him… how could she ever begin to explain?

Jareth didn't say anything at first, simply removed his hands from her arms and took a step back, eyeing her again as if she were some wild thing that he should be cautious of, and nodded his head in return. Some emotion passed over his face that Sarah couldn't quite identify, but it was gone before she had the opportunity to process it fully.

"Good," he said. And with that he turned from her and left the room, waving his hand as he passed through the door, listening to the loud 'click' of the lock turning after the doors had slammed shut behind him. Sarah didn't even bother trying to follow him, simply sat herself down on the edge of the bed she'd not noticed until just then and waited for his return.


	12. Chapter XII

Three days. It would be three whole days before Jareth showed his face again, and even then it was initially only for a moment. A chance meeting even, which, considering the size of the castle, was hard to believe.

It was in the dining room. She'd woken earlier than she had the previous two mornings (she was _tired, _drained emotionally and physically) and followed her empty stomach to the kitchen where food was being prepared; the smells were enchanting – she couldn't help herself.

The first night she'd spent in the castle was a bit of a blur. She sat on the edge of that bed and waited for his return. Food was brought to the chambers, and she was informed that _Himself_ was taking dinner in the library – she took that to mean that he wasn't exactly in the mood for company; so, after eating her fill, she'd curled up on the bed and slept.

The sun was high when she opened her eyes again, and being that there were no clocks near her anywhere, she'd guessed it was about midday. She tested the doors and was shocked to find them open easily under her hands. She took that to mean she was off whatever "punishment" she'd been on, and went off to look around. She didn't wander too far—a few rooms in the castle that were unlocked, the gardens immediately outside the castle doors. The last thing she wanted to do was get lost—it wasn't like she had a map or anything to get back.

Lunch had rolled around and still there was no Jareth; she was beginning to worry. By dinner time, she'd asked the goblin that brought her food where he was.

"Kingy is wanting to be alone, Lady," was all he offered, and Sarah, disappointed and hurt, hadn't asked again.

Day two was more of the same, though she had managed to wander a bit further and track down a familiar face. Turning the corner to see Hoggle had been one of the most comforting sights she'd ever seen. She spent the day in the gardens with him and didn't notice the time again until the sun sank low beyond the horizon. Back in the room she was now referring to as "hers"; she ate in lonely silence and wondered what she'd done to make him so repulsed.

Was it that she'd told him she loved him? Was the chase all he really wanted, and now that it was over he wanted nothing more to do with her? She couldn't think of a single thing that she'd done to deserve this… banishment. And the way he'd looked at her when he asked her… something about it set her teeth on edge. Perhaps it really _was _buyer's remorse.

Making her way through the kitchen, she'd cleared her throat to gain the attention of the goblin hovering over the pots and pans, and he'd immediately shuffled her into the dining room. Apparently, she wasn't welcomed in the kitchen. It was there that she'd caught her first glance of Jareth in days. He was sprawled across the chair at the head of the table (really… did he sit in _all_ his chairs like that?), eyes far away, contemplating a speck of dirt on the wall—or the entanglements of the Universe for all she knew—hair askew, riding crop securely in hand tapping against his boot to some invisible metronome she couldn't hear. Only the sound of her pulling out her own chair had brought him around… and still, he said nothing.

He'd looked at her, eyes passing from the tip of her head to where she disappeared under the table and back again, before staring off into space again.

They ate in silence.

It wasn't until he stood to leave that Sarah again found her voice but, weak but determined, the sound of his name falling from her lips managing to stop him dead in his retreat.

"How long are you going to keep ignoring me, Jareth," she asked annoyed.

"I haven't decided yet, Precious," he answered truthfully, surprising even himself. And with that he left the room, leaving a gaping Sarah behind to stare at the space where he'd been standing.

Hours later, when the sky was red and the sun was hanging low on the horizon, the same goblin who'd been preparing her food and bringing it to her the nights and mornings before, knocked lightly on her door before entering. He was carrying something of navy blue and he brushed by Sarah to place it on the neatly made bed.  
There was a note written in beautiful script that simply stated "For dinner tonight." Sarah wrinkled her brow for a moment and looked down at the Goblin who was patiently waiting for her to finish.

"Lady has one hour before dinner," he said simply. And with that, he was gone. Sarah sighed as she dropped the simple missive back down on the bed and fingered the delicate lace and velvet.  
"Still trying to dress me up like a doll, Jareth," she muttered to no one, and made her way to the bathroom to wash away the day's dirt; she'd taken to spending a lot of time in the garden with Hoggle, and couldn't help planting or picking flowers on occasion…

…some of which adorned her hair when she'd finished getting ready. She didn't want to think about the "hows" or the "whys" of the dress, which fit her perfectly, she simply decided to appreciate the fact that it did, and enjoy the feeling of the dainty fabric against her skin. If Jareth had picked this for her (and she had no doubt that he did), he knew what he was doing.

The navy blue played sonnets against her creamy skin, the neckline dipping just low enough to show the vast expanse of milk-white before cinching up in an almost corseted fashion, and then falling from her waist in waves of blue and silver.

Not what she would have picked for herself (she was more of a jeans and hoodie kinda girl), but stunning just the same. Her feet adorned tiny silver flats and Sarah silently thanked whatever God there was that Jareth wasn't a heels kind of guy.

"Come on feet," she muttered to herself after a quick glance in the mirror, and she made her way back down to the dining hall.


End file.
